Riga: Gun Range Shooting with Kalashnikov, Glock & Winchester

4.92

(144 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Don’t worry, everyone’s nervous the first time,” our instructor Janis grinned, handing me the safety goggles. I could hear muffled shots from behind the thick door—sharp cracks, then laughter echoing in Latvian from another group. The place is tucked under a building on Meza Street, a little hard to find at first (there’s just this old “Sautuve” sign by the stairs), but once you’re inside it’s all bright lights and that faint metallic smell I still can’t quite describe.

I’d never held a real Kalashnikov before—Janis showed me how to stand (“not too stiff!”), and my hands felt sweaty on the cold metal. There’s this weird mix of nerves and excitement when you squeeze the trigger for the first time. The Glock 17 had more kick than I expected. My friend tried to impress us with his aim but honestly, we all missed our first shots. Janis didn’t judge—he just nodded and said, “You’ll get it.” Maybe he says that to everyone?

We could try extra guns if we wanted (I was tempted by the Smith & Wesson revolver after seeing someone else grin like a kid shooting it), but stuck to our package: Glock, Winchester, Kalashnikov. You keep your target sheet afterward—mine looked like Swiss cheese in all the wrong places. We took photos with the guns (felt odd at first, then kind of fun). There was this moment between shots where everything went quiet except for someone’s phone buzzing in another room—it made me realize how surreal it all was, standing underground in Riga firing these weapons you only see in movies.

If you’re coming from Old Town, taxi’s cheap—maybe five euros—and they’ll tell you exactly where to go if you ask ahead. Just don’t forget your passport or ID; Janis checked ours before anything else. Not sure I’ll ever shoot a Kalashnikov again, but I’m glad I did it here.